Forsaken Wild
by Blood of Your Lips
Summary: The Volturi come to Forks to review Bella's status, but find that the Cullens have not only left town, but have forsaken Isabella, who is now a broken and empty shell. Aro retrieves her from a high-risk institution in Jacksonville, but it is uncertain if she can be healed or if she will be hollow treasure for eternity. *Read Author Notes*
1. Chapter 1

**DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing from the Twilight world. All characters and original plots are the creation of one Stephanie Meyer. This is story is purely for entertainment, and no copyright infringement is intended. While all of said characters and original plots do belong to Miss Meyer, the idea for this story is my own and any resemblance to any other work is purely coincidental.

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_**ARO**_

It was in no way difficult to ignore the frustrated buzz that came from my precious Jane and from Caius, my brother in venom. I had quite a good deal of practice in sweeping away their aggravation and protests when it came to my whimsical judgments, and one would think that after countless centuries, they would know their complaints would not change my determination to achieve what I wanted. And I wanted to see the mystifying Isabella Swan for myself, rather than sending my guard to check on her mortal status, or rather immortal status as it should be.

Of course, it had not escaped my noticed that my eldest companion had forced himself into my small group of travelers, and I did not pretend to not know why. I found it amusingly irksome that he did not trust me to carry out whatever duties would be necessary concerning the Swan girl, but as he had tolerated my many mad quirks and endeavors over these thousands of years, I abided his presence for the time. And continued to ignore his useless sighs and growls.

While I would never reveal such thoughts aloud, I had to admit to myself that I could see the appeal of such a places as Forks to creatures such as ourselves. It would indeed make being out in the world much easier, as the sun seemed to come out rarely in the dreary area. I could not, however, see how the Cullens managed to make a home for themselves in a place that was so... small. No matter where they chose to reside, everyone would surely know of them, which must make living as an immortal more difficult than not.

I frowned deeply as I began to ponder the impossibility of having a newborn in such a limited space. It would be a grave danger not only to the humans of the town, but to our species if it became known that Isabella was no longer human, but an uncontrollable animal.

I could only imagine the ire this would evoke in Caius.

Of course, the anger I had believed I would see in my brother was nothing in comparison to the absolute fury witnessed by myself and our small guard when we arrived at the dazzling Cullen only to find it empty. Despite the utter lack of life, or unlife, within the small mansion, we all watched in a sort of gobsmacked awe as he proceeded to tear the place apart in a deranged effort to find the girl who was clearly not there.

It took the combined force and persuasion of Felix, Demetri and Jane to calm him into a relatively acceptable state of mind, and when we went to the heart of town to ascertain the whereabouts of the vegetarians and their human, I gave Felix a pointed look to keep control of my brother, as it would not do well for him to break his own law in a fit of rage.

I left both my male guards to watch after the volatile Caius, and as we exited our town car, I instructed Jane not to speak and to let me gather the information we needed alone. I realized almost immediately that it was most certainly best for all involved that my brother did not accompany us out into the town, as it quickly became known to me that the Cullens had abandoned Isabella. I did not doubt that Caius would have lost his tenuous grip on civility if he'd heard this, and I knew he would in no way be endeared to the girl if he knew of her failing state and that no one, save one, seemed to know of her current position on the globe.

With growing irritation, I managed to learn of Charlie Swan and his usual whereabouts amongst the community, and I was able to track him easily, pretending to bump into outside the dinner. "Scusi, signore," I plead with feigned embarrassment. "I do apologize. Ah! Poliziotto! Perhaps you can assist us, officer." I placed my hand on little Jane's shoulder, purposefully drawing attention to her young former. "I and my daughter are traveling, and we are trying to find the quickest route to interstate."

It was obvious our unusual appearance was startlingly to him, and I could only imagine the suspicion we would have aroused if we had not been dressed in modern attire. Of course, given that he had to be acquainted with the Cullens, I was not wholly sure why our pale skin and inhuman features would be so shocking. Perhaps it was the unusual maroon color caused by the dark contacts over the bright red irises of our eyes.

"Uh, sure" was his reply, and I could sense the deepening displeasure rolling off my little Jane in waves. I was sure it was only my hand on her shoulder that kept her in check... Honestly, I sometimes wondered if she was a descendant of my brother, given how easily irritated she could become.

I gave no attention to his instructions and simply waited until he was finished speaking to grasp his hand in a handshake, forcing a grateful smile onto my lips as I thanked him. It was only when we were away from the girl's father and out of hearing range that I gave a small growl. "Those senseless fools! Those brainless, idiotic imbeciles! When we find them, I will personally tear each and every one of them limb from limb!"

"So we know where they are, Master?"

"No," I snarled viciously. "No one in this godforsaken town knows where they have gone, but Isabella's father knows where she is."

"And where is that, Master?"

I shuddered beneath a mixture of emotions, some known and some foreign. "She is in the horrendously sunny state of Florida." Another growl made its way up from my throat. "And she has been placed in a high-risk mental institution by her parents."

Jane hissed angrily. "She has revealed the knowledge of our world."

"No." My voice was low and deadly. "From what I have learned from Charles Swan, no one is aware of our existence. She was placed there because the Cullens have left her again. It appears that Edward has broken her spirit, this time beyond recovery it seems."

"So it will be easy to eliminate her."

"She will not be killed."

"But, Master, surely you cannot — "

"She will not be harmed in anyway!" I snarled with a darkness I had never used against her before, and when she mentioned my brother, I felt my lips pull away from my teeth in an ugly, vicious smile. "I do not give a damn what Caius thinks or wants. Isabella Swan will not be harmed."

It was only in my own mind that I acknowledged how she had already been harmed in one of the worst ways imaginable, and that I doubted there was anything the Volturi could possibly due to inflict any more damage.

.

I had heard from her father's thoughts that the facility was a private one, a supposed better grade above the barely adequate public institution, but if I were to be honest, I had not actually believed those statements until I saw the proof myself. It was a pleasant relief, particularly given how my immortal nerves had been stretched thin by Caius' incessant complaining — actually, his behavior reminded me of a hormonal teenage girl, swinging rapidly between whiny and bitchy.

It seemed like a decent enough establishment. It was clean, well staffed, and from the information Demetri had gather while en route from Jacksonville International, it was apparently highly rated for its care-giving. And while it housed a few low-risk residence, it seemed that the majority of its patients had high rates of being a danger to others or themselves.

I would have never believed Isabella to be a threat to herself, but it seemed that the Cullens had caused such a disheartening state of mind within the young woman I had met.

"Master?"

Felix's deep, rumbling voice caught my attention, and I glanced out at the looming building, relieved at the expansive awning that projected out over the entrance and its accompanying drive. I knew, as I excited with my male guard, we would have no problems seeing Isabella, thanks to some quick and ingenious work utilizing modern technology by my tracker. It was also in our favor that we were arriving later in the evening, which meant only the minimal nursing staff would be on-sight.

It did not take long to locate her — her scent was one that none of us would forget, though there was a bitterness to it which had not been present before, and I sniffed their air thoughtfully. "Demetri?"

"Drugs."

I was about to argue that improbability that Isabella would have been able to obtain illegal substances in such a state, but then the reality hit me square in the chest, nearly stealing my nonexistent breath: her blood was positively saturated with a veritable cocktail of antidepressants and antipsychotics, along with an assortment of other medications. And the site that greeted me was even worse than the one I expected, as what little traces of life had been left within her seemed to have vanished completely.

From her father's memory, I recalled the slightest traces of a spark here and there, a tiny glimmer of hope that this was all a nightmare and that the Cullens would return for her, but now it appeared even those faint wisps had been destroyed, leaving only an empty shell behind.

I studied her gaunt form as it lay prone, almost like a corpse in a casket, and had to suppress a hiss of anger and disgust at what had been done to this once intriguing human girl. I felt a flare of rage, though not at Isabella herself, when I called her name and she did not respond.

"Master..." Felix's voice was remarkably quiet and hesitant. "I mean no disrespect, but is it wise to carry her away with us. Master Caius will be infuriated when he sees the state she is in. He would not have wished to take her under... other circumstances, and he will certainly not want to accept a... broken human. He will see no use in her."

"I do not care of what my brother thinks or desires," I snarled. "I will have her with me. I will oversee her care." I moved forward, choosing to ignore the heavy sigh that was the response to my words. "Isabella?"

This time her eyes opened, and I was rather disturbed at how her pupils seemed to light upon us without ever seeming to see us. It was as if she was aware of who and where we were before she opened her eyes, for she did not have to look around for whom spoke to her — her gaze was just there.

And even more unsettling was the way she moved. It was utterly inhuman, but without the expressive grace of an immortal. The way her back came off the mattress and she folded at her hips was more like she was a marionette being guided by some unseen hand, and for the first time innumerable centuries, I felt a wave of horror fill me. If the sudden tension coming from my guards was anything to go by, then it appeared I was not the only one who experienced such a feeling.

This was not the same girl we had been introduced to a nearly twenty months ago.

We watched with a disturbing mesh of horror, dismay and morbid fascination when she rose with the same puppet like movements, tugged a pinned piece of laminated paper from the wall and made toward a small closet. Our eyes followed every single movement as she retrieved a fresh set of clothes, then lifelessly thrust the stiff sheet in her hand toward Demetri, who hissed once his eyes took in the words printed there.

"Her medication regime."

She made no sound or indication that she understood what or agree with what he had stated. She simply made her way into what I presumed was an attached bathroom to change, and it dawned on me that, without having been told a single word of what would happen, she was preparing to leave with us.

"She believes we will take care of her?" Felix questioned with no small amount of surprise.

I shook my head, and listened as Demetri gave voice to my unvoiced thoughts. "No," he said seriously. "No, that does not... feel appropriate. I highly suspect that she wishes us to retrieve enough of her medication to keep her in this state... until we kill her."

The idea of taking the little Swan's life now seemed appalling now.

I took an unnecessary breath, then released it slowly. "Demetri, retrieve whatever it is that you believe she will need." Like Carlisle, my tracker had extensive medical knowledge, and I trusted his judgement. "When we are in Volterra, I accept you to examine her more thoroughly, and from there, we will determine what to do. Felix, pack her a small bag, and Demetri... wipe all traces of Miss Swan from their records. We will be leaving with the girl tonight."

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**TBC**


	2. Chapter 2

_**BELLA**_

I was aware that my parents thought I had lost all touch with reality, and perhaps I had. I felt nothing, not emotionally anyway. Physically, I could still feel the warmth of the sun, the coolness of the wind blowing when I was allowed outside. I could still see the color of the walls that I stared at, though some distantly numb part of my brain acknowledged how the shade seemed different than it would have been were I... were I... Well, I wasn't entirely sure what term I would apply to me in this case.

My mind still functioned, as well. It afforded me the ability to care for myself, to feed myself and to groom myself, though this only seemed to be accomplished with continual urging from first my parents and now this hired staff who watched me round the clock.

The walls were blue, and had I enough energy to care, I might have been appalled at the shade. I knew, through the thick haze of lack of interest and innumerable medications, that they had chosen to decorate many of the residents' rooms with this particular paint as it was supposed to be a calming color, but from the dim memories I held, I was certain it was a hideous hue.

I didn't care. It was blue. It was a wall. It wasn't interesting.

Nothing was interesting.

I didn't care when the LPN came around, the locked medicine cart outside the door, to watch me take the small cuplette filled to the brim with pills of white, red and pink. I didn't care that some were significantly bigger than others, nor did I care that I nearly choked every time while swallowing them down with applesauce. I didn't care that they gave me applesauce instead of water or milk to make digestion easier.

I didn't care.

I didn't care about the large crack above my small bed, nor did I care that Renee had left with tears in her eyes only hours before at lunch.

I didn't even care that I couldn't care.

I couldn't.

I'd tried before.

I failed.

The clock wasn't interesting to me in the slightest. It was a clock, a simple plastic clock mounted high on the wall, but I still watched it with what might have been considered intent. My eyes zeroed in on the thinnest hand and followed every jerking, little tick as I counted down every second, every minute, every hour of my blank existence.

I looked at the wooden construction beneath it.

Chest of drawers. Clothes were in it.

Clothes.

I wasn't entirely sure, as I was wholly uninterested, but I thought my clothes were now much smaller than they used to be. I dully wondered if I'd lost weight, and through a foggy void, I came to the conclusion that I must have. I knew the nurses had to remind me to eat, and sometimes I believed they sat with me in my room to ensure that I did. It was the same with my grooming habits and dressing when it came to the rare times I gave into their requests for me to venture out of my small room.

It was blue, my room, and I was vaguely certain it was a hideous hue.

Pink pills, red pills, white pills... Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...

I hummed thoughtlessly as the effects of the medication spread through every cell of my body, and I didn't care that I didn't recognize the tune. Or maybe I did recognize the tune. I didn't care either way as I brought my pointer finger to my nose and touched the tip. I continued humming as the acid in my stomach broke down the half dozen or so pills, the fumes making their way back up my throat and filling my nostrils with a noxious smell that I couldn't even care about finding unpleasant.

I didn't care.

Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...

I removed my finger and began writing in the thin air, starting with the wandering albatross' wing span. It was the largest wing span of any currently living bird. It was a threatened species according to Wikipedia, but I didn't care about albatrosses either, so I simply turned my head back to the wall. It was blue, and I was vaguely certain it was a hideous hue.

I looked back up to the large crack above my small bed. I'd stared at it through most of lunch, and Renee had left with tears in her eyes. And I still couldn't find any energy to care, because there was nothing left to find. There was only a large void, a gaping hole with jagged edges that had leaked away every remaining drop of my spirit.

I didn't care.

I looked back at the blue wall once more.

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall. Humpty Dumpty had a great fall. All the king's horses and all the king's men couldn't put Humpty together again. Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream. Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream. Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm... I used my finger to conduct along with the meaningless tune I returned to. I still wasn't sure if I recognized it, but honestly. I didn't care. It wasn't like it was a particularly pretty tune. It was just a tune.

The wall was just a wall. It was a blue wall, and it was a hideous hue.

I sat up. I wasn't interested in the wall anymore, or the crack in the ceiling. Truth be told, I wasn't interested in anything, and I didn't care that I wasn't interested in any way, but the ugly blue wall was beginning to cause physical irritation to my eyes. I didn't really care about that either, but I still had the mobility to do something about it, so why shouldn't I?

There were non-skid socks in the chest of drawers and a robe in the closet.

I wouldn't care either way, but the nurses wouldn't want me wandering around in my tank top and cotton shorts.

I poked the wall randomly with the finger I'd poked my nose with.

The wall was blue. It was hideous, the hue. Ugly wall.

"Well hello, Bella!"

It was one of the nursing assistants. I think her name was Donna.

I didn't really care.

"Are you taking a walk before dinner?"

I stared at her blankly.

"Would you like some milk?"

I didn't care.

I turned and walked down the hall. The walls weren't as ugly in the hall.

"Hey, baby!"

It was the delusion nymphomaniac from 612. Her name was Casey, or that's what she told me when she hit on me the first time. She was constantly horny, and she said it was because of the aliens who came to visit her at night. There were rumors that doctor wasn't even trying to treat her anymore, and I distantly wondered if it was because she was having sex with him. She told me they were.

I didn't care.

I stuck out my finger and poked at the wall as I passed Casey and the nurses' station. I didn't necessarily like the walls in the hall either, but if I had cared at all, I supposed I would've liked them better since they weren't ugly like the blue walls in my room. I dragged my finger along the wall as I walked all the way to the end of the corridor, where I stopped to pull up the blinds of the reinforced window.

I could tell that the sun would be setting soon, and an image of a young vampire sparkling in the bright light came unbidden to my mind.

I was so numb, however, so terribly empty that I no longer cared about that either.

I saw the pavement of the expansive parking lot, the white lines that blocked off vehicles and a thoroughly boring array of different colored cars and trucks and SUVs. In the far distance, I saw the ocean and the sun seemingly resting on its watery line, and I supposed if I had the energy to care about it, I would have found the sluggishly disappearing ball of fire beautiful.

But I didn't. I didn't care, and I didn't find it beautiful, not truly. It was beautiful in the way the walls of my room were ugly, but I didn't care about how disturbing it was that I didn't care. And I was aware that this was one of the reasons I was here, because not caring and not having any feelings about life was supposedly bad enough, but not caring about the fact that I didn't care was apparently far worse to the people around me. I wasn't sure why.

I knew I had fallen into a worse state than the first time. I knew I was, as I'd heard Charlie say to Renee, a zombie, but that wasn't too bad was it?

I was surviving. Perhaps not thriving, as the psychiatrist had said, but surviving. I had not attempted to hurt myself. I... existed.

And I didn't care.

I returned to my room to eat, and when I finished, I simply climbed onto the bed to await for the nurse to come around before lights out with my sleeping pills. I knew it would be awhile, so I let the remaining mist of the most recent dose pull me into a vacuous chasm in the deepest recesses of my barren mind. And I became so lost within that void that my ears barely registered a knock on the door or a voice I was not overly familiar with speaking my name.

I didn't bother to drag myself out of the empty canyons of my mental landscape at first because I didn't care. I'd crawl from the frozen pits when my nurse came to drug me into the furthest realms of unconsciousness. But the voice — voices — did not seem to want to leave me in peace, and since I didn't have enough energy to care or be disturbed, I simply opened my eyes to what I realized, through the growing buzz of my medicated stupor, was my fate.

I recognized them now, but I was not frightened. I was not angry.

I was empty.

I would have to wear clothes if I were going to go to Volterra to my death, assuming they wished to take my life on their territory to make it impossible to find my body. I would need my medication, at least until they decided to kill me. I could not feel anything now, and I wanted to ensure I remained empty on my trip, so I ripped my medication schedule from the ugly blue wall, and after retrieving some clothes, I shoved the paper to Demetri. I hazily reached the conclusion that out of the three, he'd probably be the most likely to know what everything was and know how to administer the doses correctly.

Of course, it didn't matter. I was going to die anyway, so why would accidentally overdosing be a problem?

Unless they wanted to eat me, which I figured was probably the case when I thought more about it.

Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm... Merrily, merrily, merrily, merrily, life is but a dream.

I returned to find Demetri missing and the other two staring at me concernedly.

"Bella?"

I didn't acknowledge Felix at all.

"Isabella?"

I only blinked at Aro.

"Can you understand me?"

Aro.

I stared.

"Isabella? Please,_ cara,_ answer if you can understand me?"

I didn't care.

Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...

I turned to stare at the wall. It was still just a wall, and I was still vaguely aware that it was still a hideous hue.

I wondered if the color would ever change in the next few years?

Hmmm, hmmm, hmmm...

"Bella?"

Aro, so fond of calling me Isabella, called me by my other name.

I turned to him, and blinked.

"What have they done to you?"

I was slowly succumbing to the madness of my own deteriorating mind, but I was still not so far gone as to not know who he spoke of and what.

I knew he meant Edward and the Cullens and how they left me alone, but I didn't care enough to answer him.

I didn't care.

He sighed, and even in my drug-induced fog, I thought it sounded sad. He still sounded pleasant enough when he spoke, though. "Demetri is gathering your medications and clearing your history from the facility's database." I did not care enough to ask how this would be accomplished, and he did not bother to explain it me. "All traces of your existence has been erased, electronically speaking, from Forks _and_ from Jacksonville. You will be returning to Volterra with us, Isabella."

His dark eyes were staring at me, his expression strange.

I did not have the amount of energy it would take to interrupt the look he wore, and I did not care enough to try to summon it.

"Come, Isabella," he urged gently, offering his arm. When I only blinked, making no move to accept the gesture, he plucked my hand and slipped into the bend of his elbow. "I will take you home."

I still did not care.

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**TBC**


	3. Chapter 3

_**ARO**_

Caius was decidedly less than pleased when I made the executive decision to stop over in New York for the night, but after a short discussion with my tracker, we determined it would be best for Isabella's physical well being. He made sure to be as vocal as possible about his displeasure at every available opportunity, and I wondered if he secretly was a masochist, because he was testing my normally cheery disposition and driving me quickly toward a violent mindset. If he was not careful, I would tear his tongue from his mouth.

I pushed aside my brother's most recent jibe about the little human's presence on our plane, and instead watched her sleeping, the steady rise and fall of her rib cage strangely hypnotic. In a disheartening way, it was fascinating how her features seemed more alive when she was lost in slumber than when she was conscious.

Her mouth, which had been tight from the pain deep within her mind, was now relaxed and full, curving into a more natural frown that seemed to rest on the lips of most sleeping humans rather than the prominent one she wore earlier in the evening when we found her. And the lines that had crinkled the the edges of her eyes were gone, smoothed out by a faux peace from a drugged and dreamless sleep.

She was beautiful, intriguing, and she was locked in a desolate mental wasteland of the Cullens' creation with Isabella's own misery spinning a cage to hold her there, never allowing her to escape their invisible grip. She was trapped so far in her growing hell, and I was uncertain how to retrieve her, or if she even wished to be found.

I hated to wake Isabella, but as the plane neared the airport, I traced my fingers over the warm skin of her sunken cheek and watched as she squirmed at my cool touch. _"Cara,_ we have arrived. I need you to wake for me, Isabella." I dragged my fingertips from her delicate face to the soft hair that spilled around her – it was surprising how well the staff had helped take care of her, because I could not imagine she would have been so well groomed otherwise. "Isabella?"

Her eyes fluttered open, but there was a glassy look in her gaze which I attributed to the drugs in her system. As much as I hated to allow it, until Demetri was able to properly examine her in Volterra and adequately correct her intake of medication, I had agreed with him that following her current regime would be less traumatic than changing anything she was used to taking, as her body had become dependent on certain substances to survive.

"Ah, there you are!" I exclaimed with a soft and false delighted tone. "I do trust your sleep was... restful. Isabella?"

A low growl came from the seats across from us. "She is long lost, brother," Caius spat. "She is a broken excuse for a human." He met my hard gaze with one of disgust. "She was practically a useless creature to begin with, and now, she holds even less value to us. She is worthless and unnecessary. Why keep such an inferior piece of cattle?"

I would have lunged for his throat, would have torn his neck out from between the inflated shape that was his head and his thin body, but the slightest movement from the girl caught my attention, and I could only watch with heartsick sympathy as she seemed to curl up into herself, her face still disturbingly devoid of any emotions that she should have felt under his harsh insults.

"Masters?"

I snarled at him before I turned my murderous eyes to Demetri.

"May I speak with you privately? I believe there are some details concerning Miss Swan which we must discuss more thoroughly." It was clear by his tone that he meant only to shed light on the situation to the always vexing Caius, but was simply including me for the sole purpose of saving face. "Perhaps Jane would like to join us?"

"Fine," I hissed, glaring defiantly at my irritating partner. "After you, _brother."_

"Not that she can really go anywhere in such a confined space," Demetri said with a touch of humor in his voice, "but can you watch the lovely Isabella, Felix? I do trust that you can handle her without any troubles?"

The giant's grin was positively wicked. "Oh, I don't believe we'll have any problems, will we, Bella?"

She did not respond to either speaker. She never even blinked.

The only thing that kept Caius' limbs in tact when we moved from the open cabin to a private office near the flight deck was the fact that he kept his voice to low for the girl to hear his slurs - he normally screeched his indignation like a banshee from the isles of Eire. "Why do you want to keep her, Aro? As a pet? Surely the uniqueness of Sulpicia's beauty has not worn off after all these centuries? Why would you need a new toy to play with? Especially one that is so meaningless as that wretched excuse for a meal?"

I caught his marbled throat in my grasp before even his swift inhuman eyes could focus on my movement. "What I want and do with Isabella is none of your concern, Caius Volturi. And if you wish for your mate to continue having hers, you will stop your fruitless prattle and keep yourself from my personal business." I squeezed tightly, enjoying the cracking sounds that came from the pressure of my fingers on his neck. "Isabella will be staying with us in Volterra indefinitely, so that should at least appease you in the knowledge that she will never be able to reveal our existence to another."

He sneered at me. "As if she could even _speak_ to another."

I heard a satisfying metallic crunch as a sizable fissure split his skin. "Shall I remind you, Caius, that even without your experience in battle, I am boundlessly more powerful than you? And that I can easily bring you and the entire Volturi guard to naught but ash?" For the first time in nearly two millennia, I saw fear in his eyes, and I smiled. "If you try to come against me on this matter once more, brother, I will destroy you. _Capisci?"_

"Masters?" This time it was Jane who spoke, and like Caius, she looked fairly terrified at my behavior. "Should we not hear what Demetri has to say?"

"Yes, I do believe we should, little one," I replied, giving Caius a final look of warning before looking to the tracker.

"Forgive me, Master Caius," he began, nodding in my brother's direction, "but since Master Aro has made his opinions quite clear, and since it seems I will be acting as Bella Swan's physician, I must also request that you do nothing more to distress her." When it appeared Caius would object, Demetri motioned for him to be silent. "I am certain Master Aro would not keep Bella alive without reason, and with that in mind, it would do you well not to cause her any upset. Though she showed little emotion, it was clear your speech had a negative impact on her, and as I recall Master Aro detailing the Cullen boy's behavior and words from the previous encounter, I cannot begin to imagine what damage he has inflicted on her this most recent time."

This seemed to give my brother pause, the curve of his lips pulling in a thoughtful frown.

"Master, may I speak freely to you concerning Bella?" Demetri questioned, looking at me with a degree of wariness that I understood. He knew that whatever he said at this point might upset me, but we both knew he would not ask without just cause. When I nodded, he looked relieved but disturbed. "Aro, you are my master, but you are also my friend, and what I say to you is both as your friend and as the one you've charged with Bella's care. I ask that you hear me out before attempting to tear away my limbs."

Well, those words most assuredly could not bode good tidings.

"Aro, I believe you should really stop and think about what it is you are doing." He held up his hand when I stiffened and growled. "Aro, I am not saying we should take her life here and now, but you need to truly consider the circumstances of what is occurring, instead of only looking at the outer appearance.

"I do not have the gifts of your brother Marcus, but neither am I an ignorant newborn," he uttered quietly. "I can see there is, without any conscious thought, something that goes deeper than wanting a talented addition to the guard, but even if my hypothesis is true, I still think you should seriously consider every possibility, because I sincerely believe that the Isabella we met before no longer exists. Whatever version of her lives within the confines of her mind, it's not the same one... Of course, that could explain why such behavior did not occur upon your first meeting." He shrugged. "But even still, Aro, there is a chance you cannot save her from the prison she's in.

"If she were already a vampire, than seeing her mate might possibly pull her from her torment, but she's still human," he said with a heavy voice. "If she were to change before regaining a sense of awareness, she'd be trapped forever... There are many lose-lose situations here, Aro, which is why I am asking you to think about what is not only best for Bella, but what is best for you."

He titled his head, his eyes conveying his sympathy. "What happens if she can't be saved, my friend? Are you willing to care for her until her body withers away with her mind? Would you turn her and lock her in a field barren of thoughts just to keep her with you until this world comes to its end? Could you endure the emptiness and loneliness you would inevitably take by changing her and keeping her as... what, Aro? What would she be to you then? A doll? A pet?"

I knew he could see my rage growing, because he held up a hand in defensive submission. "I do not say this to anger you, old friend. I say this, because I want what is best for you both, and I think you are so lost to these new emotions that you are choosing to ignore the bigger picture, as the humans say. If you can't save her and still wish to keep her, that is entirely your decision, Aro, but think about this: Could you subject her to an eternally hollow existence? Could you force her to relive her blank life day after day after day? Could you become so desperate that you would be willing to lock her in a frozen state of desolation?"

I turned my eyes to Caius, not for a reaction this time so much as guidance, because just as he had not considered the extent of the damage Isabella had endured, I had not considered what it would mean if she was lost forever. And while I was still rather miffed with him for his callousness toward my little human, I knew that as a mated vampire, he would be able to imagine the pain Demetri was speaking of if he placed himself and Athenodora in our roles.

"It would kill you, Aro," he whispered. "Perhaps not physically, but your sorrow would drive you mad, just as her sorrow seems to have driven her sanity from her." He stepped toward me, his bloody eyes glimmering with surprising sincerity. "If what Demetri believes is true, then I tell you now that it would only bring you both the most appalling kind of misery. And you might think I say this with ill intent, but I do not, brother... If you cannot save her, perhaps then you should consider allowing Demetri to end her existence."

"I am far too selfish," I mumbled, shamed and angery at the feelings growing within me. "I cannot feel anything but selfish desire at this moment, and if you were to ask me in this time whether or not I could release her to death if she cannot be retrieved... I cannot. Perhaps if both our souls were to be broken, I would fully understand and accept the pain and charge my family with our ends, but... I cannot. I cannot and will not bow to an end that is not within my sight."

Demetri nodded. "I hope you bear me no ill will, Aro. I meant no offense, and I only wished to –"

"I understand," I replied in a tone so quiet, I wasn't sure if I was heard. "And I thank you."

.

**TBC**

**A/N:** So there have been a couple of people wondering about Aro's feelings for Bella and why he's being so protective, and there are two answers: The first is that I'm obviously going to have them as mates, and the second is going to take a little time to explain, so you might want to grab a refreshment.

For those who remember Feral Blood, you know that I have an obsession with the details that Meyer's missed or I felt weren't as fleshed out as they should have been. Aro is a perfect as example, as he has the ability to know everyone's every feeling, thought and memory from a touch. That gives us a good idea of what he is capable of experiencing, but it's nowhere detailed enough to make some people realize the magnitude of what happens with him… He knows every single, tiny detail when he touches a person. He knows their whole life. He knows their favorite food, their favorite song. He knows if a person's parents are alive or dead, the grief of losing a parent. He knows all the feelings and memories of a person's every love. He knows if they are married currently or divorced. He knows if they have children and the joy and grief that come with them. He knows every painful secret a person may have. He knows if a person has been abused. He knows if a person is abusive. He knows every memory of their childhood and adulthood. He knows all about their friends. He knows _every single_ detail about a person, every one, no matter how big or small. And while some view him as evil, I view him as very differently.

Now, that's not to say I believe he isn't a killer, because clearly he is. I also think that in canon, he's completely out of touch with reality, but I don't think he is _evil_. I think he's been driven crazy, but also not the way people probably think. From what little I've seen and read, he seems to be more vicious with his own kind than with humans. He seems to have more respect for human beings, as well as a deep fascination with them, and I think this stems from being unable to escape experiencing their lives whenever he comes in contact with them. So while it's clear he views and treats them as a food source when the time requires it, I also think he empathizes with them in away the other two couldn't. I think he probably holds them in a higher regard than even his own species when it comes to every time but feeding. But maybe that's just me.


	4. Chapter 4

_**BELLA**_

It seemed the Volturi had their own private jet, which in no way surprised me. For one, I couldn't really experience that feeling anymore in my dissociative state, and given how I remembered Emmett boasting about their plane, and yacht, it only seemed natural that the rulers of the vampire world would have their own personal means of transportation. I had just enough energy and clarity left in me to wonder, however vaguely, about what other modes of travel they might have. Yachts? Sports cars? Trains?

I watched as vampires walked free in the daytime in Florida, though this was only accomplished with the long awnings that stretched from the limousine to the steps of the plane, and due to the fact that the sun had set so low that just a hot pink sliver was visible over the line of the trees. Only the clouds farthest from us were touched by the last feeble rays, and they were lit up like fire around the plasmic, orange ball.

"It is beautiful, is it not?"

I turned my head to see Aro smiling down at me in a way that I would categorize as tender. I searched through the files just outside the bars of my mind. I clawed through the haze and found what I was looking for, and yes. Yes, I was sure that was the word I would apply to how he looked at me. Tenderly. Fondly even. I tilted my head to the side, as if I did not believe him, when he purred in Italian that its beauty could not compare to my own. I blinked at him, then gazed back at the sun with the same disinterested stare.

"Come, Isabella."

I let him take my elbow once more with no fuss or struggle, and I walked up the mobile stairs in front of him, distantly aware of his hand resting on the lower curve back. I took Demetri's hand when I neared the top, and he helped me on to the landing, releasing me only when Aro had taken his place behind me. I watched the Volturi's best tracker as he led the way into the spacious cabin and simply blinked at the grandiosity of its appearance. I would be flying in luxuriousness to my death, and it was such a pedestrian thing that I might have smiled were I more lively.

"Isabella?"

Aro.

I looked to him with a bland expression, and his answering smile seemed almost sad as he guided me to an expensive-looking cream couch. He eased me down and did not hesitate to take the seat beside me, reaching up with one long finger and brushing it across my cheek with such a gentleness that it felt almost like an early spring breeze caressing the thin skin there. "Oh, _Isabella mia,_" he sighed. "I do not wish to say goodnight to you just yet, but -"

There was a derisive snort that came from somewhere in the cabin, followed by a cold voice snarling, "She did not even grace you with a hello."

"Caius, hold your tongue," he hissed, his eyes flashing dangerously across the room before turning back to me, their red depths warm and inviting as they traced the lines of my face. "I do apologize for that little outburst, Isabella, but as I was saying before... While I do not like the idea of seeing you lost to slumber just yet, I have spoken with Demetri, and we feel that until we have you in Volterra, we should stick to your current schedule. I presume from the fact you retrieved your own chart that you agree?" I only stared, and he sighed. "Demetri is retrieving some food for you to take with your medicine. You can sleep soon enough, _angioletta."_

When I drifted away, he was still sitting beside me and stroking my hair.

When I awoke, he was still sitting beside me and stroking my hair.

It was as if he hadn't moved, but given he was a vampire, it was entirely possible that he hadn't.

"Ah, there you are!" His voice was so soft, so... inviting. He sounded sincere and hopeful. "I do trust your sleep was... restful. Isabella?"

I blinked, and a nasty voice, cold and bitter, filled my ears. "She is long lost, brother." It sounded like Caius, and a quick glance around only confirmed this. His eyes were all but blazing with disgust and hate, and my body reacted instinctively, shrinking deeper into the sofa I was on as he hissed, "She is a broken excuse for a human. She was practically a useless creature to begin with, and now, she holds even less value to us. She is worthless and unnecessary. Why keep such an inferior piece of cattle?"

Cattle? Of course, I was nothing more than livestock to them. I was not good enough for Edward - he'd shown me that well before he left - and if I was not good enough for him, I certainly would be nothing more than a source of food for these godlike creatures. He was right to refer to me as cattle. It's all I was and would ever be. It was appropriate, really.

"Masters?"

I had the vaguest impression that Aro might have killed his brother right then and there if it hadn't been for Demetri's interruption, an interruption I gave little thought to until I heard him mention my name and Felix ask in a voice that could only be described as wicked, "Oh, I don't believe we'll have any problems, will we, Bella?"

I just stared at him.

"So, Bella, what should we do while the Masters converse, hm?" I only blinked, and he seemed to prepare himself for a list of unanswered questions. "Do you want to listen to some music? We have quite the sound system here. What's your favorite type of music?" He tilted his head when he was only answered with silence. "Do you like games, Bella? Can you play chess?" He eyed me thoughtfully and a smile pulled at the corner of his lips. "No, I can't imagine you do. Most young people your age do not."

He hummed as he rose to his feet, then crossed the den-like space to a small cabinet beneath the large screen mounted on the wall. There was the sound of shuffling, plastic clanking, and he returned with a red box, twirling his finger to get me to turn. He pulled down one of the plush cushions of the backrest to reveal a small table, and if I had been capable of feeling shock at any time during this ordeal, it would have been when he plunked down the game of checkers. "We're going to play."

The Volturi giant wanted me to play checkers, and it wasn't a request.

I blinked at him.

He was black. I was red. He won every game but two, and there was something that told me I'd actually won, that he hadn't been humoring me. As little as I cared, it wouldn't have mattered if I had lost all of them anyway. We only stopped when the two kings returned with Demetri and Jane, but it was simply because Aro took Felix's place at the board. And like Felix, he didn't even attempt to pretend to let me win. They probably thought it would be an insult to my intelligence to pretend.

"Have you ever been to New York before, Isabella?" Aro inquired gently. "I must confess that modern cities do not typically hold the same appeal for me as most cities created in past eras, but New York City is impressive, quite impressive indeed. And I would wager you have never seen a play on Broadway. Would you like to, Isabella? Or if not now, perhaps some time in the future?" I didn't answer him, and he gave a sad smile before lifting his hand to my face. He stroked his long fingers over my cheek and down to my jaw, catching my chin in his tender grasp. "Whatever it was that he said or did to steal your spirit from you, _cara,_ I promise he will pay. And even if it takes me years, I will see that spirit reborn, I swear it."

When the plane landed, we moved quickly from the aircraft and were not subject to the endless queues waiting to make it through and out of the airport. Indeed, we went straight from the plane to a waiting limousine, and I was distantly aware of the fact that Aro never removed his hand from me at any time. If he wasn't guiding me around with his fingers splayed across my lower back, then he would have my hand linked to his arm, or in this case, he had his hand resting on me knee.

He gave the mentioned part a slight squeeze and offered a caring smile. "We will be at the hotel soon, my dear." He moved closer, as if he were about to tell me a secret. "If memory serves me, I do recall from the Volturi's last business trip here that the butlers draw the most amazing baths, which I am sure you will love. I can imagine with your previous strict schedule that you did not have much time to just enjoy yourself. Hopefully, you will find it pleasant."

I sighed, and his eyebrows rose.

"I suppose that is an improvement over blinking." It was Caius again, but as I turned my head toward him, I found his expression to be somewhat bored, and surmised it was probably much like my own look, save for the slightest curl to his lips. He cast a wary glance to Aro, then tilted his head as his eyes returned to study me. "It seems I owe you an apology, Miss Swan. After nearly three thousand years on this Earth, it is easy to forget that I was once part of your species."

I wasn't fully certain just what kind of an apology that was, but it didn't matter. I simply blinked at him. I didn't really care if he apologized to me or not, so I kept the silence I had held since the day Edward left a second time. I knew my words and my breath weren't worth anything to the Volturi - they certainly hadn't been to_ him._

I grabbed the checkers set from Felix when we exited the limo, an action that did not go unnoticed by anyone, and held onto it tightly as we made our way through the opulent foyer of the Plaza. I could only surmise the sight our group made: five inhumanly beautiful persons who were dressed to the nines in tailored suits and carrying themselves with the confidence of gods, and one pathetic and bedraggled girl in jeans from Target who clutched at a bright red box of checkers.

I pulled the game closer to my chest and attempted to make myself as small as possible behind Felix's massive frame, knowing I didn't belong here. I was only here because of Italy's supernatural royalty, and I was vaguely aware that I wasn't worth the time and effort they were spending on me, particularly if I was just going to be killed on arrival.

"Isabella, are you all right?"

I looked to Aro, then felt the first tendrils of something creeping into my mind as I let my eyes dart around the splendid hotel. If I had to give a name to the sensations which scratched at the thick surface of the emptiness that caged my conscious, I would call it frenzy. Yes, frenzy. I believed that's what my psychiatrist would call it as well: frenzy. A frantic reaction, secondary to... what? Feelings of inadequacy? Yes. That sounded exactly like what my doctor would have said.

"She's panicking."

I recognized that voice. It belonged to Demetri.

I only blinked at Aro.

"Panicking? She looks calm to me." Jane. "Actually, she looks _blank_ to me."

"It's her subconscious mind, Jane." Demetri again. "It's an instinct that goes far deeper than her waking mind. It's a testament to how broken she is." A snarl, but not from Demetri. "I am sorry, Master. I meant no offense."

"But it is not us, surely." Felix. "Would she not have panicked upon seeing us?"

"It is not us," Aro returned, his voice so soft that I could barely hear it. "I believe it is being here."

"Ahh... She feels unworthy, so she is panicking." I let myself look at someone other than Aro for the first time since climbing out of the limousine. Demetri gave me a caring smile when I looked to him. "Well, this certainly fits with what the Cullen child did the last time, but fear not, Isabella. Edward is a selfish and an entirely foolish boy! This you will soon learn."

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**Reviews are like Taco Bell. Take from that what you will, but I love Taco Bell.**


	5. Chapter 5

_**ARO**_

I was unprepared for the lack of argument on my brother's part when I gave whispered instructions to Felix to have our accommodations downgraded from the Royal Plaza Suite to the Royal Terrace. If he had given me any complaints, I would have brought it to his notice that there was only one in our company that would truly have need of a bed or a shower. And while I was certain that the two-bedroom-two-point-five-bathroom space would be still be rather intimidating to Isabella, I knew it would probably be less overwhelming than the near five thousand square foot prized suite with its multiple vestibules, massive kitchen and personal chef on request, grand piano, library, the formal dining room and ensuite personal gym.

Of course, the more I thought about it myself, the more I realized it was quite pointless for even vampires to have such rooms. We could not eat human food, there was no book their library could possibly have that Volterra's library did not, and the gymnasium was worthless to an immortal who could lift the weight of a small car. I suppose the piano was a nice touch for anyone who could play it, but out of our group, no one did. At least, no one that I was aware of. I could not recall through Edward or Charlie Swans's memories as to whether or not Isabella was musically inclined, but even if she had been at one point, I doubt she had the energy to play now.

As we entered the suite, I issued orders to the awaiting butler directly. "I wish for you to draw a lavender and coconut milk bath in the second floor lavatory." I knew that due to scheduling, Isabella had not showered in a little over twenty-four hours. "The temperature should be between one hundred-four-point-seven and one hundred-five-point-six degrees Fahrenheit, that way the water will have cooled by the time Miss Cigno completes here shower. I would like shampoo and body wash of accompanying scents, and if it is at all possible, I would very much like for there to be scented candles of accompanying scents placed throughout the room."

I searched my memories of what Isabella's diet had been like recently and in the past, and determined that perhaps something in between healthy and... _less_ than healthy would be more appropriate for her. After such a disturbingly unimaginative and strict diet, the "junk food" she was previously used to would be a painful shock to her system, but I still wished for her to have something flavorful that she would have enjoyed more than the bland choices in the ward where she'd resided.

"I would also like you to bring a single dinner for the young lady," I instructed pleasantly. "A small Sweet Gem Caesar salad and a small French onion soup, followed by half of the prosciutto and mozzarella panini. To drink, a diet coke. No dessert, I think." I paused to give him adequate time to make sure that my demands were noted, then continued. "I would also like to place an order for Miss Cigno's breakfast now, in case my associates or I find ourselves tied up with business in the morning, and I would like it delivered no later than a quarter 'til nine. A glass of one – no, two – percent milk, as well as a glass or pomegranate juice, the Plaza omelette and a bowl of berries with Greek yogurt."

After reciting back the list to me, the butler – Thomas – inclined his head. "And anything for you and your associates, sir?"

"No. Thank you," I responded, casting a careful glance at the human girl. "While our lovely companion is feeling... rather under the weather today, the rest of my company and I will be dining out some time later this evening, after Miss Cigno has taken her meal." I took a deep and unnecessary breath and pretended to ponder on whether or not I was missing something. "Barring any unforeseen changes, this should be all we require and no further assistance will be necessary. Thank you very much."

Despite his service being included with the room, I would still have Demetri tip the man. I had, after all, given him some immensely detailed instructions that he was required to carry out from memory. For an average human who most assuredly lacked an eidetic recall, that was incredibly impressive and deserved to be rewarded, particularly as the man had managed to maintain a remarkably cool demeanor where not many would or could have.

I did not worry that the gentleman might confuse or fail to carry out any of my instructions. Such workers had intensive training and were undoubtedly the most competent and professional of persons I had ever had the pleasure of meeting. Indeed, I had great respect for such persons dedicated to their craft, and were it not for the problem of humans being one of two food sources for my kind, I would have much preferred to staff the castle with them than with vampires.

Ah, but where was my mind wandering?

Hmmm.

"Isabella, why don't you set the game down, and we will go upstairs with Jane and get you ready for your bath?"

I never would have suspected my words to cause such an immediate or physical response. Without a single trace of emotion on her face, her eyes empty as a fresh canvas, she clasped the game more tightly to her chest, the action rattling the pieces in the box and disturbing the surprised silence. I was almost afraid to say anything else, but I knew her personal hygiene needed to be taken care of – I would not allow Isabella to remain covered in germs longer than necessary.

"Isabella, I give you my word that you can play, if you would like, as soon as you are done with your shower – you do not even have to use the bath if you do not wish to. But you need to be clean, dearest." The door open, and I nearly thank every deity, ancient and modern, known to humankind when Felix walked in and Isabella's blank gaze moved to him. "Felix can hold onto the game for you, _cara_. I assure you that he will not let anything happen to it."

As she had responded actively to him first, I hope she was easily submit to this request, but I could almost sense the hint of reluctance seeping from her pores, and I wondered if she would give in at all. I was at a complete loss as to what we would do if she did not, because I refused to force her to give up what seemed to have become a lifeline to her and in turn have her be afraid or mistrustful of us, or rather more afraid and mistrustful than her subconscious instinct probably already dictated in spite of her conscious void.

"Isabella?"

Her eyes moved in rapid succession from myself to Felix, to the board game that she gave a heart-wrenching squeeze to, then back to Felix before settling on the bright red side of the box. When she stared at it for several long moments, it became painfully clear to me that she might actually have to go to sleep unclean and shower in the morning, and as I resigned myself to this more likely possibility, she slowly loosened her hold on the cardboard and offered it to the guard. The action reminded me very much of a child offering up its first work of art to its parent – the movements were small and almost timid, an expressive contrast to her vacuous features.

I was grateful to Felix for his measured movements forward. It was obvious he did not wish to startle her in any way, though whether the choice was of his own independent making or if it was based on fear of my reaction, I did not know, nor did I care. I only cared about the gentleness he displayed with her and that he took the game from her hands with the utmost ease, consideration of her state apparent in ever motion he made.

"Come, dearest," I cooed softly, looping my arms around her and carefully lifting her body. I did not trust her balance entirely right now, given all the drugs in her system, and I still was unsure as to whether or not I should let her attempt to shower on her own or have Jane assist her. I came to the conclusion that we would remain outside, and I would only have Jane intervene if it seemed that Isabella was struggling to care for herself. "Your bath should be ready soon enough."

I deposited her on the edge of the bed, and the way her eyes followed me, yet somehow stared _through_ me as though I were air, was rather disconcerting. I tried to ignore its eerie effect as I stared at the case Thomas had brought up the stairs with him previously, and I took several moments to ponder what would be less invasive: going through Isabella's belongings myself or allowing Jane to pry through them to find her something to sleep in. As I had already been witness to the removal and packing of her belongings, I decided the less people going through her things the better. Then again, if something were to go wrong, it would be Jane who would be attending to her, as I would feel uncomfortable doing so for quite a few reasons.

I sighed and began searching through the few articles of nightwear in Isabella's luggage, and frowned at the disturbing amount of blue. I knew it was a favorite of her mother's for her, but I was also acutely aware that it was the boy's preferred hue on her as well. I determined in my mind, right then and there, to rid her wardrobe of every last trace of the color at the first available opportunity. In fact, I would have Athenodora and Didyme go shopping for her the moment we arrived in Volterra.

That thought made me think of another, and I frowned.

While I was certain Sulpicia would not cause trouble, I knew she would be less than ecstatic when I presented her with divorce papers. Regardless of the fact that we were not mates, two thousand years of marriage and companionship was quite a bit to say goodbye to, and then there was the life she had built within our coven. Of course, I would never simply throw her out of her home without consideration to the lifestyle to which she'd become accustomed and guaranteeing her comfort, but I wondered how much money it would take to satisfy her.

I gazed at the young human girl sitting so patiently, or rather blankly, and gave a heavy sigh. _Oh, Isabella. What trouble you are going to be._ Yet even as the thoughts filtered into my head, I was conscious of the fact that some deep-seated but growing need would have it no other way, would not possibly be able to relinquish this creature to anything or anyone else.

I was pulled from my mental wanderings when her chocolate eyes blinked and darted to the black cotton shorts, malachite green tee-shirt and black underwear I held. I raised an eyebrow when she lifted her gaze, then smiled compassionately. "Is there anything else you will require for after you bath, _cara?"_ When she blinked only once in response, I tilted my head and pulled up images from her appearance in the facility. "Ah, yes. Your robe. I cannot imagine you would feel too comfortable without being properly covered."

Truth be told, if it were not for the other members of our clan being in the same suite, I would not have cared to hide her form. At the time we removed her from the institution, I had not been bothered by or even thought of such things, perhaps due to the sheer need to withdraw her from her bleak residence and life. But now upon reflection, the idea of the males viewing her near-bare body exposed a peek of some dark animalistic instinct that wished to keep her from all other eyes and tear out the ones of those who might desire her.

However, for the time being, I had to push such thoughts and feelings to the back of my immortal mind since I could not afford to entertain the unlikely with the situation being the way it was at the present. In no way could I have any expectations or hopes about that particular path when Isabella seemed unable to formulate words or function without firm but tender direction.

_Ah, such trouble you are, indeed, sweet Isabella._

I needed to feed. Immediately.

_"Cara mia,"_ I murmured sweetly, "I must step out of your room for awhile. You have nothing to fear from Jane. She will help as you need." I set her clothing beside her and leaned over to kiss the top of her head. "I will return before you are done. I promise, dearest."

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**Reviews are like fluffy cushions.**


	6. Chapter 6

_**BELLA**_

The suite was large, larger than I would have thought necessary for vampires seemingly doing nothing more than retrieving me. It was odd that they needed this much space, but I did not really care enough to question any one of them about this unusual choice. It was their money, and if they really wanted to squander it pointlessly on me, far be it for me to argue. As long as Aro allowed Demetri to continue to give me my endless stream of medication until they finalized their decision to kill me, I didn't care what they did.

With a tiny sniff, I internally acknowledged that there was a trace of... curiosity when it came to the knowledge that they had yet to end my existence. If Aro had been the only ruler to come, or indeed if Marcus had came rather than Caius, I could better comprehend the need to keep me alive and breathing until reaching Volterra, as I could not imagine the blond immortal accept anything but seeing my life taken before his very eyes as proof. Caius, however, had accompanied Aro to my previous residence, so all of these little delays and detours seemed like a complete waste.

My imminent death apparently include butler services, and there was the briefest flicker in my wholly delusional mind that perhaps they meant to drown me and make it look like an accident, but that was also pointless, as according to Edward and Aro both I would be unbelievably tasteful. Surely they wouldn't let all of that delicious blood just go unused? I mean, I knew there wasn't enough to go around for everyone, but I figured Aro would probably demand to be the one to drain me - he was the king of kings. Or at the very least, he could have turned me over to one of the others like he had done previously in the clock tower.

Lavender and coconut milk bath? Well, that seemed a bit much. Did he think I would absorb the flavor somehow? Cigno? Cigno? Ah. Swan. Italian. How very Aro. But why did I need candles? Was he going to kill me with ambiance? Despite being in a drugged state, even I found that a little strange for the dark sovereign. Then again, he was as bat-crap crazy as I currently was, so there was no telling what was going on in his deranged and dusty mind.

No, no. I didn't need food.

I said nothing, but let out a soft sigh, the sound catching the attention of the last person I wanted it to, and he stared at me as though I were the greatest and most frustrating puzzle he had ever had the misfortune of being presented with. I couldn't care enough to squirm under Caius' dissecting gaze, so I just stared blankly back. If he thought he was scaring me, he had another think coming, because a quick death from him would be a mercy, a welcome release from this prison I unthinkingly maintained.

"Isabella, why don't you set the game down, and we will go upstairs with Jane and get you ready for your bath?"

I all but crushed the box to me, though I wasn't sure why. It was a simple game, almost childlike in its simplicity, and I imagined that it seemed laughable to these eternal, genius creatures that I, for whatever inescapable reason, was suddenly attached to the game as though it were a lifeline. To be honest, if I had the ability to feel beyond the restraints of the mind-numbing medications, I probably would have found it to be horrendously silly as well.

Maybe Felix or Aro would play with me later?

If I had not known him, I would have thought Aro was reading my mind from the way he practically spoke my thoughts aloud, but before I could ponder too long on this coincidence, he all but insisted that I give up the box so I could go shower. And I suppose I could not blame him for that. I was sure that after an entire day without proper cleaning, I smelled, which must have been terrible for their sensitive noses, but still... I wasn't entirely comfortable in relinquishing my hold on the game.

It was childish, stupid really, but it had seemed almost normal playing with Felix and Aro. It was like I wasn't locked away in my own miserable madness, and if they took it away, then what would I have?

It was only when he promised that Felix wouldn't let anything happen to the game that I even gave a fleeting thought of giving it up, and I tried to ignore the blatant stares of everyone in the room as I gave a hesitant glance to the giant. I knew if I gave the box over to him that I'd be giving up the one single link to normalcy that I'd had in age, because while they did have games and television and music in the mental institution, I had been surrounded by people exactly like me - lifeless, yet somehow crazy. Playing with Felix and Aro was the closest thing to life I had, which was rather ironic given their undead state.

I eventually lifted the box for Felix to take, and as he approached me, I felt the smallest twinge of fear for the first time, and it was not fear of him or his impressive size or ability. It was dull fear that they would get rid of the game, and I would no longer have its farce-like distraction from the demons trapped with me inside the cage of my mind. I hoped he'd give it back.

I gave no resistance when Aro swept me up in his arms, and to be honest, I was almost grateful. I wasn't sure if I could make it up the grand staircase. I wasn't exactly my most stable, the sleeping pills still having several hours of life before the effects dissipated. I wonder if Aro was taking into consideration the sluggish state I was in - a shower in this state? It was almost unthinkable. I could sway, slip and crack my skull open on the tiled wall.

I stared at him unblinkingly as he began searching thoughtfully through my things, a strange look crossing his features briefly, and I wondered from the tightness of his shoulders and jaw if my blank gaze was beginning to unsettle him. It unsettled Charlie and Renee, but they were humans like me. I was in the presence of all-powerful vampires. What could I do or not do that would cause him any discomfort?

When it seemed like he had what he wanted, he turned back to me, an almost melancholy expression on his face. Was I making him sad?

"Is there anything else you will require for after your bath, cara?"

I blinked.

"Ah, yes. Your robe. I cannot imagine you would feel too comfortable without being properly cover."

I did not bother to remind him that I was wearing tiny shorts and a tank top when he found me in the ward. I also did not bother to say that as I was a worthless human and that they were century and millenia old vampires who had seen everything beautiful and ugly in the world, I could not imagine that my near-nakedness would mean anything to them whatsoever. Although, if I gave it more thought, Caius might be disgusted at seeing a scantily clad piece of cattle wandering around.

I frowned.

He was leaving. Of course, he was leaving. He had to eat.

I wondered if he'd hunt for a female or male.

As I was trying to reach through the bars of my mental cell, trying my best to grab onto even those morbid thoughts, I realized he was hissing at Jane. I heard the orders to listen out carefully for me, and I was almost surprised at the vehemence he used with her when talking about my care. I could not imagine why he would worry about whether or not I remained alive and healthy, or as healthy as I could be in my depleted state. Honestly, I didn't know why he just didn't kill me already, or at the very least let Caius slaughter me - the unholy tyrant would love that, I was sure.

I was alone with Jane soon after, and I couldn't understand why there was a vague sensation of emptiness when Aro left, as well as a feeling of... sadness?... that he hadn't said goodbye after speaking with Jane.

Of course, I was a human, a worthless human. If his brother was to be believed, I was nothing more than livestock meant to be butchered and devoured.

I blinked at Jane, then turned and shut myself away in the now empty bathroom.

.

**Reviews are like homemade cup cookies. (Seriously! Have you have a cup cookie? They're delicious!)**

**A/N:** I would like to invite all of you who remember or heard of **Feral Blood** to take a peek at the first installment of the **Feral **series, which has been published on Amazon under the name Arisa Baumann. You don't need an actual Kindle to purchase, only the Kindle app. You can also read it on your laptop/desktop with Amazon's cloud reader! No Kindle required! I'm so thrilled to finally have this story out and to announce that Part Two will be available this winter, along with a print edition of Parts 1&2 together!

I'd also like to invite everyone to check out my friend **4MeJasper's** fics, particularly **Her Keeper** and **Prey for Him**. She has some great Jasper fics that I think everyone would enjoy, so make sure you check those out too!


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